


you'll find a place (a family) one day

by My5tic_Lali



Series: you'll thank me one day [4]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Found Family, Gen, Headcanon-heavy, but then again what ISN'T speculation when it comes to back cover, set pre-Back Cover, speculation about pre-Back Cover, yep this one is like 2x longer than the other ones in this series sorry not sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 02:17:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17572415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My5tic_Lali/pseuds/My5tic_Lali
Summary: So Master clapped his hands together, and addressed his current apprentices.  “All-rightie.  Lessons are actually cancelled today, I forgot that I have to meet someone—“ Master looked out the window, gauging the time, “—at noon.”  He walked over, ruffled Invi’s hair, high-fived Gula, and fixed Luxu’s jacket.  “So I’ve got to get going!”  As he left, there was no protest—Luxu just waved cheerily, Gula rolled his eyes, and Invi smiled slightly.He’d never been there in person, yet.  But these Islands felt full of destiny, and the knowledge that this was where he would find Ira urged him forward, across the shifting sand.//set pre-Back Cover. how Master met Ira and Ava





	you'll find a place (a family) one day

**Author's Note:**

> (alternative title: the places I can take you might not be better but they're not here  
> alternative alternative title: the known unknown is always better than a known boring  
> alternative alternative alternative title: I've Seen what's coming, oh boy is it coming)

There was an interesting dichotomy in Master's day-to-day life.

At least half of the time, the things that happened to him were things he'd already Seen, and Master knew how to react, or knew to prepare for it beforehand. And the older he got, the more things he'd Seen, so the better he could prepare. He already had gotten some new shoes, so the day that Gula winced when they took a walk in the snow, Master already had the new pair ready, before the kid could try to hide his need. Master had given his apprentices a tour of the forest, so on that one mission when Luxu got separated from the rest of them, he could find his way back.

And then there was the other half of his life, wherein Master switched between future and present too much and forgot which was which, completely caught off guard by very normal things.

Thankfully, his apprentices were getting pretty good at dealing with this.

It was morning, and everything was going fine, until Master heard some movement by the back door as he prepared breakfast for the kiddos. He summoned Primum Ferrum before thinking about it. He had Seen several different scenarios involving attacks from the rear entrance— _was it the Darkside who would be brought down by Aced in his pajamas? Or those persistent Keykids who would break into the castle for the fifth time? Or was it Luxu and Gula with yet another stash of fireworks?_

Master whipped the door open, and brought his Keyblade in a swinging arc to attack whatever was on the doorstep, only to be greeted by a very high-pitched scream.

He stopped his swing just in time.

"Master," Invi said reproachfully behind him. "It's just the milk man."

"Oh, right," Master said apologetically to the shaking man. "Sorry about that!"

"The same thing happened yesterday," the milkman said, wiping his brow. "Do you not remember?"

Master shrugged, and threw his hands up in the air, "Not particularly! Did I already pay you?"

The man nodded.

"Then at least I don't have to worry about forgetting that!" Master said, taking the milk from him and closing the door.

Invi still looked pretty reproachful behind him, but after a second, she just tugged her scarf up higher over her nose and went back to the other room. "Is breakfast ready?" Luxu called, sticking his head around the corner as she passed him.

Master waved him off and finished gathering the plates up. He shook his head to get rid of the lingering unease from the milkman's sudden appearance. Most of the time, the clearer the future got, and the better prepared Master felt. He had always felt sure of himself, always known things would work out eventually. He used to wake up and wander through the day, chasing familiar scenes from what he'd Seen, but now, after so long, Master didn't wander. He got to wake up, teach his apprentices some magic, and then stride off in _chase_ of those scenes, confident that he would find them.

But some days… Some days, like this morning, Master was brought up short by just how unclear his memories got, between past and future.

"Maa-aster" came Luxu's whine, again, and Master shook it off. He wouldn't let one mis-remember ruin his whole day. He counted the plates one last time—five, no, wait, six, including himself—and sauntered out into the dining room.

Luxu cheered, and Gula half-heartedly swatted the other boy to get him to shut up. Gula still looked half asleep, yawning and barely raising his head at Master's entrance. Invi dutifully moved her book off the table to make room for the plates.

But Master paused.

"Wait, where are Ira and Ava?" Master asked, looking behind him. It was hard to miss them, Ava with her sunshine smile and bouncing walk, and Ira, quieter but studious, always nearby and ready to learn. But they were nowhere to be seen.

"Master?" Gula asked, awake now, and he and Invi exchanged looks. "What do you mean?" Master looked back at them. There were only three apprentices. He only had three, right now.

The realization shook him for just one second. How could he have forgotten that he hadn't gotten Ira yet? He was next. How had Master so thoroughly mixed that up?

Well, that just wouldn't do. It was past time for him to gather Ira—and Master knew just where to look. Ava would come shortly after, or so he assumed, since Master had never Seen where he would find Ava.

Master set down the tray on the table, and took a deep breath. It must be time to change his present, then.

So Master clapped his hands together, and addressed his current apprentices. "Aaaall-rightie. Lessons are actually cancelled today, I forgot that I have to meet someone—" Master looked out the window, gauging the time, "—at noon." He walked over, ruffled Invi's hair, high-fived Gula, and fixed Luxu's jacket. "So I've got to get going!" As he left, there was no protest—Luxu just waved cheerily, Gula rolled his eyes, and Invi smiled slightly.

"Invi, keep an eye on them! And tell me what they've blown up when I come back!" He called over his shoulder.

"Uh, okay, Master!" "We won't blow anything up!" came the responses, but Master was already out of the door.

At least he knew where to go, for this. He'd Seen this, before.

///

He'd never been there in person, yet. The sand beneath his boots shifted as he strode through it, an unfamiliar sensation, and the sound of the waves foaming and breaking was somehow soothing, even though its endlessness was almost unsettling. Master had the urge to just sit and watch, just be swept into the repetitive motion of the ocean. What a life that would be, he thought. Enraptured by the motion forever, the same movement again and again, but somehow different every time the water ebbed and flowed.

These Islands were beautiful. Master would have to come back again, if he could.

But he wasn't here to relax, today. So he turned away from the sunlight sparkling off the waves and made his way toward the seaside buildings. On the side of the largest one, he saw the words _Destiny High_.

But even as he walked toward it, the doors flew open, and a stream of youths spilled out, and Master was pleased to see a familiar head of long blue hair among them. Ira was coming to him.

The kids were a mix of ages, some clumsy with rapidly growing limbs and others racing with endless energy and high voices. Their teachers stood nearby, but for the most part just chatted, paying no attention to the mass of kids. Many of the younger ones jumped straight into the waves, swimming like fish, delighted as they splashed each other, even though Master was sure they did this every day.

Some of the kids noticed him, though, and Master smiled beneath his hood as some of them (mostly older ones, trying to be cool and not playing, as though they had outgrown it) nudged each other and made their way over to him.

Ira was among them, and Master smiled wider.

As Ira came closer, Master's vision split. In one eye, it was just the curious face of a sun-tanned youth, a burgeoning teenager with the ache to be free hidden under his "good kid" façade. But in the other Eye, Master saw a tall figure. Ira's face hadn't changed much over the years, but his shoulders had, broadening under the weight of responsibility, his skills sharp and his mind sharper.

"Hey, mister," one of the kids said, and Master blinked, the vision disappearing. "I haven't seen you before. What're you doing here?"

"You'd be right, kiddo. I'm just traveling through these parts."

"What do you do?" A girl asked him.

"Oh me?" Master said, and smiled in anticipation. "Nothing special. I'm just a magician."

All the youths gasped, and stepped forward, almost unconsciously. "Whoa!" "Do some magic!" some of the kids demanded, and Master's eyes found Ira's face. He hadn't asked anything, but at Master's words, he had perked up.

"Oh, psh, it's nothing fancy," Master said, shrugging his shoulders, only to straighten and summon a small firework between his palms with a flourish.

The youths yelled in delight, and all crowded closer. "Do it again!" "What else can you do?"

It would be easy enough to enthrall them with a bit of magic. But Master shook his head. "I'm afraid that's about all I can do right now. I must be on my way soon. The next world over from here is gonna need some protection, and I need to save my magic for then."

This brought on another wave of questions, and before he knew it, Master was seated, whipping out story after story of his past heroic deeds, as the group of kids sat around him, enraptured.

It was flattering, Master had to admit. Most worlds were aware enough of each other that they didn't seem surprised by magic or travelers, but it seemed that these Islands were unusually secluded. This group of kids looked at him with awe, gasping at all the right parts of his only-slightly-embellished stories and laughing, too (even when Master hadn't really made a joke). They were all tanned, lounging in the sands like they belonged there; like they had been here amid the waves and warm air forever and would never leave even when their skin turned to wrinkles. Their eagerness was mostly that of thrill, not of a genuine desire to experience the same.

But not Ira. He was leaning forward, mouth closed, hardly breathing. Master had him on the hook. He smiled at the sight—once Ira became accustomed to his new life, excitement and novelty were far from his mind, and he walked around with his nose in a book more than he _oohed_ or _aahed_ over Master's new inventions.

"And every night, I get to go back home to my clock castle, and teach my apprentices all the stuff I've learned." Master concluded.

The kids all gasped, and several of the younger ones started chattering questions _What's a clock castle? What kinds of magic do you teach?_ But Ira had stood, out of all of them. His breath was coming faster, his eyes fixed on Master's inscrutable hood, and he blurted out, overriding the other, more innocent questions, "And you teach people?"

"You seem interested," Master said mildly.

The youth didn't answer, but he didn't need to. Master could see it in his eyes.

Master had Seen, over and over again, how those eyes wouldn't waver in the face of difficulty. How those slim shoulders would bear the weight of leadership. How he could— _would_ —go with the other foretellers into the murky place that Master hadn't Seen much of yet. He'd never Seen this moment, though. This moment, where the youth met his eyes and didn't draw back, where Master offered him a way off these Islands and Ira lunged for it.

Just then, the a bell rang inside the school. There was a chorus of groans, but the kids got to their feet easily, joking with each other as they swaggered off to their next class—the older ones, more Ira's age, went toward the bigger building. "Thanks for the stories, mister!" one of them said, as he left. The littler ones went toward the open door of a smaller room attached to the school, where a smiling teacher was counting heads as they traipsed in, not even bothering to shake off the sand from their sandals.

But Ira remained. His eyes hadn't wavered from Master's hood. "And you teach people?" He repeated.

"Sometimes," Master said.

"Would you teach me?" Ira asked, and Master was struck by the tone of voice. His words were almost desperate, as though if Master said "no", his hopes would be destroyed. "You're already in school," Master pointed out, jerking his head toward the building behind Ira.

"Nobody here cares about school," Ira said. "They don't teach us anything here that we couldn't learn on our own."

"Then why stay?"

"I don't have anywhere to go." Ira said it softly, but with a solid defeat.

The bell rung once again. Ira glanced back at the building, and Master could see it in his posture that he wanted to head inside. Even though he hated it, Ira couldn't stand _not_ obeying the rules. Master smiled. That rule-follower spirit.

"Well, how about you go teach those kids how to study right. And after you've finished class, you meet me back here. Then we can talk about how you _do_ have a place to go, if you want it."

"I do," Ira blurt out, but Master held up a hand. "Go to class. I can tell you want to. We can talk about it after."

Ira wavered for just one more second. "You'll still be here?"

Master nodded. "I'll stay right here." Maybe he would get to get lost in watching the waves for a while, after all.

Hesitantly, Ira stepped back, but eventually he did turn back to the school, sprinting inside. Before he shut the door behind him, Master saw him take one last look back for his dark coat.

///

Ira was back before the sun had touched the horizon. The school bell rang, loud and long, and the doors once again flew open. He was the first one out, visibly sagging with relief when he saw Master's dark figure.

Most of the other kids headed inland, waving lazy goodbyes to friends and walking with the surety of people who had been here for their whole lives. A few of the younger kids remained on the beach, some diving back into the waves. Two of them wandered nearby where Master was sitting, kicking at the sand and picking up seashells.

But Ira headed straight to Master.

Knowing it wouldn't scare him off, Master pulled back his hood. Ira seemed faintly surprised at Master's vivid blue eyes, but didn't seem any less eager. "Would you teach me?" he demanded, full of anxious energy.

"Tell me something first," Master said, gesturing for Ira to sit beside him. "Why do you want to leave?"

The weight of those words seemed to rock into Ira, and the youth sat, settling easily into the sand. He took a minute to respond, glancing at the kids nearby, and then out at the ocean.

"Nobody here wants to." The youth finally said. "Nobody talks about it. They don't ask _where do you want to go to college?_ or _what do you want to be when you grow up?_ because everyone already knows. He's going to be a fisherman, like his dad. She's going to own the grocery store, like her mom. We're all going to be sailors, just like everybody else."

Master said nothing, but looked back at the waves too. It didn't seem to be the worst existence. This place was safe, and whole. It felt eternal, and self-contained. An entire world, made of ocean and sand and contentment.

"And it makes me _insane_." Ira continued, and his voice had turned bitter. "How can they not want to go beyond the horizon? How can they be _fine_ with the same beach, with the same people and the same life?"

Ira locked eyes with him. "I'll do anything to get out of here. There's so much to learn, to do, out there. I just know it."

"It's not all good," Master said, softly. As the sun slowly sank, the nighttime rose to replace it, slowly making the sky behind them grow darker and darker. It wasn't scary, nor was it foreboding, but Master's stomach was still sinking. "Things come that you don't expect. You think you have it figured out, and then suddenly you've forgotten that the world isn't just light. That what's to come might be destroyed."

"But at least it's not _this_." Ira leaned forward, seemingly unphased. Master looked back at him, thinking of the murky place that lay far ahead of him and his other apprentices, that place that seemed so far away but drew closer and closer with every passing day.

Even though he had always known that Ira would come with him, Master was faintly surprised at the boy's eagerness.

Or maybe it wasn't surprise. Just a few years ago, Master would've been thrilled at a response like this. Yet another easy solution, yet another apprentice added to his group so that Master could make the future. But now, sometimes, Master thought about just what was coming. Or rather, he thought about the fact that he didn't exactly _know_ what was coming. What he had Seen wasn't always enough. And from the things he had Seen… Master thought of that barren landscape that dotted his infrequent dreams, that place of desert and dust and death. They were getting closer and closer to that. Master tried to deny how he felt something like fear when he thought about that time.

And yet here Ira was, just as eager to begin as Master once would have been.

Master glanced back at the setting sun. There was still plenty of light left in the day, and even as the night fell, pinprick stars were beginning to appear.

He stood, still looking up at the sky. He couldn't make decisions now just based on one image of darkness, on the murky place that was filled with uncertainty—because that was what it was, when it came down to it. Master just hadn't Seen much of it, and what he had didn't make sense. For all Master knew, everything would end up fine. And even if it didn't… It would still come to pass. He couldn't stop it.

"Well, whaddya say, Ira?" The boy stood, too, even though he obviously did not know his new name. "Let's go get that 'Not-Here.'"

Master locked eyes with the boy again, the youth's determination increasing his own.

But just at that moment, a flicker came across his face. Master saw him hesitate, and glance away—no, _behind_ him.

And Master Saw why a second later.

For one second, Master just saw a bubbly, bouncy young girl, with a sunshine smile and the brightest gaze Master had ever seen. In the next, he also Saw a young woman, hiding her immense skill behind kind smiles, with lively eyes that could see the potential in wielders and kindness in everyone.

_Ava._

He'd never Seen how or when he would pick up his youngest apprentice. He had always known it would be shortly after Ira, because he had never Seen one without the other.

And yet here she was, in the same bright world as Ira, drawn toward her own destiny at the same time he was.

Ava had been playing nearby this whole time, and Master had never glanced over at her to see it for himself. But she seemed to have understood what was going on, and had abandoned her playmate to step closer to Ira. "A-are you leaving?" She asked him, eyes wide and voice still bright even as it wavered with sadness. After she spoke, Ava looked at Master himself, smiling slightly in greeting, unblinking at the sight of his eyes.

Ira knelt down next to her, looking back and forth between her and Master. "Aethra, you know I always wanted to. You know it isn't because of you, or the home, or anything."

Ava wasn't teary-eyed, but she was pouting, still looking at Master and not at Ira. And Master had Seen that pout before—it wasn't true grief, as it looked on the outside.

Master couldn't contain a smile.

That was Ava's _thinking pout_. And Master now knew that he had nothing to worry about.

"Where are you going?" She asked, finally looking back to Ira. The youth struggled for words, as though he felt he had to justify his own choice without hurting her feelings. But Master walked over before he could speak and answered for him. "Ira here is coming with me to be a Keywielder and protect people. It's a very hard job, and it means he'll have to train with me for many years. But when he's older, he'll be able to help lots and lots of people."

Both Ira and Ava looked at him in awe as he spoke.

"Can I come?" Ava asked, and Master smiled wider.

"What?" Ira grabbed her shoulder, as though he could gauge her genuineness by peering into her eyes. But the girl just grinned at him.

After a second of stunned silence, Ira shook his head as though clearing it of cobwebs. Then he stood, facing Master once again, and stuck out a hand for the girl at his side. Ava stood up taller, and took his hand, looking at Master too.

And just like that, Master knew he had his apprentices secured. "I'm glad you're as excited for that future as I am," Master said, and pulled his hood up, glancing one last time at the beautiful sky. The darkness of the night mixed with the fading reds of sunset and it looked too perfect, as if someone had thrown up a painting against the horizon. He also knew that the same mix of colors could be seen from the parapets of the clock castle where Invi, Gula, and Luxu waited for them. All across the worlds, that same blend of light and dark graced the sky. Master thought for a fleeting second about how no matter how many sunsets and sunrises he'd Seen, they always managed to look different.

"Let's go," Master said, sticking out his hand to grab Ava's empty hand.

_If I hadn't Seen things like this coming, maybe that means the things I haven't Seen in the future will be just as good._

///

Luxu somehow managed to top his surprised expression from when Master had brought Gula to the castle when the boy found Master with two new figures at his side. "Invi! Gula! Master brought new friends!" He yelled up the stairs, and then bounded out to meet them. Luxu grabbed Ira's hand and shook it enthusiastically, even as Ira drew back slightly in surprise at his boldness. "I'm Luxu! Great to meet'cha!" He held out a hand for Ava, too, and after a second, the girl shook his hand as well, at first hesitant, but seemingly becoming bolder as Luxu's excitement wore off on her.

"This is Ira and Ava," Master told him, even as the two glanced up in surprise at him. "Uh, my name is Candor," Ira began, but Master and Luxu shook their heads at the same time.

"We all got new names when we came here," Luxu explained, gesturing behind him as Invi and Gula came into view too. "What was your old name?" Ava asked, quietly, and Luxu frowned slightly. "Hmm… You know, I don't remember." But then Invi and Gula walked up, introducing themselves to the newcomers too, and Luxu's face fell back into a smile.

"Ira, Ava, welcome to your new home. I already know which rooms you'll be in, and if I Saw right," Master glanced at the kitchen window to confirm that the light above the table was on, "you're just in time for dinner."

"We actually _did_ need those six plates," Invi said, looking up at Master. He could see the way her eyes crinkled at the corners and knew she was smiling at him. Master winked at her under the hood and tapped her nose. "I'm always right. Just sometimes off by a few hours."

Luxu led the way toward the kitchen, having grabbed Ava's hand and talking excitedly about the castle and the fun they had planned. Invi tagged along beside, her quiet voice interjecting sometimes—Master had Seen how she would immediately attach herself to Ava, finally with another girl apprentice.

Gula turned and headed that way too, but Master turned the opposite direction. He should probably clean out his experiments from Ira's room before the youth got in there. It probably wouldn't be great if, on his first night, Ira accidentally touched one of the electric gummi blocks Master was making and got electrocuted.

But before he could make it there, Ira's voice stopped him. "Uh, mister…"

Master spun back around. The youth looked vaguely sheepish, and though he had taken a few steps toward the kitchen with the others, he had stopped before entering.

For a second, Master was confused, but then he chuckled and shook his head. "It occurs to me I never introduced myself." He strode over, and clapped the youth on the shoulder. "I'm the Master of Masters. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Ira."

Ira blinked at him for another minute—Master knew the boy would take a while to get used to his new name, but would eventually accept it—and then smiled. "Master. I can't thank you enough for bringing me here. I didn't think I'd ever get out."

Master considered this for a moment. The response he usually would've given—something about _just your luck that destiny turns out the way it does_ —seemed… lackluster. Ira had this habit of constantly believing him. Ira was easily the most obedient of his apprentices, besides maybe Aced. Master thought about the place Ira had just left. He'd probably had enough of _destiny_ for a while, so Master probably should give him something closer to a real response.

"It's not just you that's thankful," Master eventually said. "Finally getting you guys here is something I've been wanting for a long time too."

Master had Seen how, in a few days, Ira would put together all Master's odd mannerisms and directly ask him if he could see the future. Even Invi had been confused at Master's odd statements and foreknowledge til he'd told her about his Sight. But Ira seemed to inspect every sentence that came out of his mouth, on-guard for information and guidance. Ava, on the other hand, never even suspected anything strange until Gula told her sometime about the time Master had known about Luxu's peanut allergy before Luxu himself did. "You'd better get inside," Master shook himself out of memories of his visions, and lightly shoved Ira toward the kitchen, "Before Gula eats all the biscuits. That kid won't let bread out of his sight."

Even as he spoke, Master heard Invi's voice, raised in admonishment "Gula! We have to share those with our new friends! Don't eat them all."

Ira grinned at him, moving towards the door again. But he stopped once more and glanced back. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Master _psh-aw_ ed the motion with a wave of his hand. "I've gotta make your room fit for human habitation."

And he turned around and headed into the castle, before Ira could reply.

From the kitchen, even as Master winded through the twisting hallways, he could hear the bubbling conversation of 5/6ths of his apprentices. They were already getting along great. Just as he had known they would.

///

It took him until after night had completely taken over the sky to finish cleaning Ira's room. But after that, and after seeing that the kitchen was dark and void of raucous conversation, Master stretched and started making his way to his own bed. The day had been a complete success, as far as he was concerned.

But before Master could make it to his tower room, he was confronted by Luxu. The kid, rubbing at his eyes, was standing by a window in the tower. He looked up as Master came into view, and stepped close to tug on the hem of his coat. "Master, she's crying."

"Who?"

"Uh-Ava!" Luxu said, fumbling to remember her name. He crossed to the window, pointing.

And so Ava was. Huddled in the courtyard, far enough away from the rest of the castle not to be heard by any of the others' rooms, underneath a tree that looked vaguely similar to one which could have grown on those islands which Master had just plucked her and Ira from.

"Go to sleep, little Lu. I'll take care of her." Luxu looked up at him, as if he were trying to decide whether or not to trust him. But after letting loose an enormous yawn, Luxu nodded and headed down to his room.

The trip down to the courtyard was quiet, the castle seemingly slumbering. When he glanced up at the windows from the grass, none of the lights remained on. It was just him and Ava left awake.

"What's wrong, little one?" He pulled his hood back, kneeling there beside her underneath the tree. He never liked to See Ava cry. None of them could ever stand it when she got a wobbly lip and her eyes grew wide and wet. Ira and Aced were known to stop mid-argument if Ava got too upset by their harsh words. As such, Master was well used (or at least, would become well used) to comforting her. He knew she was not overly emotional, but she felt more strongly than the other foretellers, except for maybe Luxu.

He did not expect her to say, "I, I miss my stuffed animals."

"Your… stuffed animals?" Master repeated, and was hit once again by the realization that Ava, right now, wasn't any older than Luxu or Gula was. None of them were the bouncy youths yet, who caught on quickly to lessons and could be reasoned with. Ira and Invi were old enough that Master could get by treating them as though they were the Masters he Saw often. But not so the younger three, and especially not this one, on her first night here.

Ava sniffed, meeting his eyes and shaking her head urgently. "I don't want to go back there! I like it here, lots! I just… I just miss my stuffed animals. I always sleep with them."

Suppressing a smile, knowing it would offend her, Master put a hand on her head. "Maybe we can ask Ira to take you tomorrow."

Ava shook her head again. "He's never gonna go back."

"What makes you say that?" As far as Master had ever Seen, that was true, but he wasn't naïve enough to believe he'd Seen 100% of what his apprentices got up to over their lives.

Wiping the tears away and pulling her knees closer to her chest, Ava explained, "Ca—I mean, Ira… He never liked it there. He's always wanted to leave. Now that he has, I know that he won't ever go back."

And with that said, Ava scooted closer to Master, and wrapped her little arms around him.

For a second, Master didn't know to react. She was still crying, a little, and her arms were like a vice around his midsection.

But then, subconsciously, Master's hand came back to rest on her head, and he smoothed her hair down in slow motions.

The night was cold, and Master realized that she didn't have a coat in the castle at all. Master blinked, and Saw that in the morning he would find Ava already wearing one of Invi's spare skirts. He would have to go and buy wardrobes for both her and Ira—and they would stop by the bookstore on the way back, to start Ira's library. Ira was going to love the books which Master already owned, but his own collection, amassed over the years until he was a Master himself, would always be Ira's favorite. And Ava, as soon as he started taking her on missions with him, would start her habit of collecting keepsakes.

But for tonight, for right now… Master could make this better too. He'd never Seen this moment, but he knew what he should do.

"Ava," Master said, once her shaking had quieted. She shifted, and then a moment later sat fully up. Her tears were mostly dried, but her mouth was still downturned. "Would it make you feel better if we went back to the Islands, really quick, and grabbed a few of your stuffed animals?"

Her mouth opened in a perfect _O_ , and nodded.

So Master stood, and extended a hand to her.

Ava bit her lip. "If Ira knew I went back, he would feel bad for taking me here."

Master made a _shushing_ motion. "We'll keep it a secret."

After a second of consideration, Ava accepted his hand and stood.

But she didn't start walking after him, when he moved to summon a portal. She just stood there, with one hand still outstretched… and her other hand came up, looking up at him expectantly.

 _Oh, right_. Luxu had done this a lot, too, when he was younger. "Aren't you too big for this?" Master asked, but he lifted her up anyway.

Her arms came around his neck as if they'd done this a thousand times. "Nuh-uh. I'm not double digits yet! When I'm ten, I'll be too old." Master _hmm_ ed, unsure of this logic (especially given Ava's future propensity for climbing on Aced's shoulders at the slightest chance), but he didn't say anything.

"And, hey, Ava," Master said, as he summoned the portal. "Ira didn't take you here. I did."

She titled her head at him, as they passed through the magic together. "But I wanted to come."

He met her eyes. "Then I didn't take you either. You came, on your own."

It took her a second of contemplating this, but then she smiled a sunshine smile back. "I did!"

They were back on that sandy beach, the starlight glittering off the waves in endless repetitions, the moon sitting heavily overhead. The wind blew stronger here than in Daybreak Town, and Master held Ava closer when she shivered. "Where's your old house?"

He followed her directions to a building which was labelled _Destiny Orphanage_. The place wasn't rundown, but it certainly didn't look like a home either. There weren't any lights on. They went around the back together, Master exaggerating his steps to make it look like he was sneaking, and Ava had to cover her giggles.

Her windows were open. Inside, Master could see a bunkbed, only one mattress of which was made, and a few scattered belongings. It didn't look anything like the bright, overstuffed, plush room which Master had Seen would be Ava's.

He set her down inside, but held her back before she could rush to her bed, "You can only pick six, okay?" She would get many more soon, and he knew the mess which her room would become. It was better to only bring a few.

She nodded and went to carefully sort through the varied stuffed animals and dolls in a box next to her bed. Master glanced outside, at the rustling palm trees.

The sound of crickets was drowned out by the waves, and the wind here was softer than at the beach, playing with his dark hair. He'd forgotten to pull his hood up before taking Ava here. It had been a long time since he'd spent any significant time with his face exposed. It was a different feeling. He couldn't make secret smiles or roll his eyes without someone noticing. Not that he had to do that often around his apprentices, but it was still different. It was… nice.

But whenever Master Saw himself in the future, he always wore the hood up. So Master reached back and tugged the hood back on, feeling the edges catch the wind, almost as though the breeze wanted him to keep it off too.

Then he heard a muffled _thump_ from behind him, and turned to check on Ava. She was successfully balancing the prescribed six stuffed animals in her arms, but one had fallen out of her back pocket. She looked guiltily up at him. "I couldn't leave him behind too…"

It was a little lion, his mane black and his eyes a deep blue. His stitched mouth looked kind of like a frown.

Wordlessly, Master picked up the lion for her and ruffled her hair. "Let's go home, okay?"

Ava smiled again, that smile that warmed him in spite of the wind. "Let's go!"

...

_~fin~_

**Author's Note:**

>  **A/N:** yikes i did not mean to not update this for like half a year
> 
> sorry friends, college kicked me in the butt last semester and i barely survived (also this is 2x as long as any of the other chapters in this series and i did not realize that that meant it would take 3x as long to write)
> 
> .
> 
> Cool facts:
> 
> Each of the foretellers are assigned an animal (mask), representing the seven deadly sins from the book the Ancrene Wisse; Except Luxu and Master, the former of which would be a scorpion based on his name. Pride, which is the only remaining trait out of the names of the foretellers (and therefore is probably Master's "sin"), is signified by a lion.
> 
> I really like the idea of Ira setting the trend that Xehanort and Riku followed, growing up on Destiny Islands but always wanting to go beyond the horizon. I think Ira and Ava became legends of some sort, the first kids to ever leave and never come back, off to something magical and unknown.
> 
> As with the other foretellers, I gave Ira and Ava Latin names for their original names. Ira's name is _Candor_ , meaning _honesty_ or _purity_ , and Ava's is Aethra, which can be translated as _brightness_ , or _a bright sky_.
> 
> Also I headcanon Ava as an orphan, but I think Ira had an absent father. Master probably didn't need to convince him to let Ira come with him, and Ira honestly was happy to leave the guy.
> 
> .
> 
> thank you all so much for reading! again i'm so sorry for the delay in getting this posted. but i really appreciate you all taking time to read this!
> 
> come yell at me on [my tumblr](https://literally-in-too-many-fandoms.tumblr.com/)! I post headcanons about these forteller kiddos but also about other kingdom hearts things!
> 
> (the final chapter is coming sometime but i have literally no clue when it'll be up because i used up all my motivation to write this, also i have maybe 0.03% of the idea of aced's chapter sooooooo... sorry in advance for the wait)


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